Cruisers' Net | Cruisers Helping Cruisers

Jan 3, 2023by: Larry Dorminy No Comments

AIWA January 2023 Newsletter

Cruisers Net is proud to be a member of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association whose lobbying work is crucial to keeping the Waterway navigable and safe. Your membership dollars directly support their vital work. Please join and encourage your boating neighbors to do likewise, regardless of their homeport.

Happy New Year!
AIWA January 2023 Newsletter

The 118th Session of Congress is Underway!

Today, the 118th Session of Congress began. Investments in waterway infrastructure continue to be a bipartisan issue, and we want to highlight four actions we saw in late 2022 that should positively impact 2023 and 2024.

1. The FY23 Omnibus Appropriations act was passed and signed into law in December. This means that the federal government is funded through September 2023.

2. The Water Resources Development Act of 2022 was included in the National Defense Authorization Act and was also signed into law in December. This authorization bill is the bedrock of water infrastructure projects as it authorizes new projects to begin, includes changes and modifications to existing projects, and updates policies and procedures for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This bill is typically passed every two years and WRDA 2022 was overwhelmingly supported in a bipartisan nature. Work will soon begin on WRDA 2024.

3. The Appropriations bill included Community Project Funding (aka earmarks). While the AIWW benefits from the general appropriations process, the Florida stretch of the AIWW received an additional $2 million in FY23 as discussed below. Every dollar counts for waterway maintenance.

4. The U.S. House of Representatives office buildings will become more open to visitors and stakeholders to advocate and educate the House members and staff. While the AIWA has been successful in working to secure federal investments in the waterway through virtual advocacy meetings, starting today we will see changes on meeting protocols instituted in the House. This is good news as the AIWA board looks forward to our in person Advocacy Trip to Washington, DC this March.

With a new Congress comes the unknown, and we anticipate challenges ahead, yet we are excited about the opportunities and the willingness of Congress and the Administration to work collaboratively on water infrastructure needs in the United States.

Congress Passes FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill: Waterway Wins Big!

On December 29th, President Biden signed into law the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill that included Energy & Water and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was great news for the AIWW and all along Marine Highway 95!

We want to provide a breakdown of the final funding amounts for the AIWW/IWW/NJIWW along with the Additional Dredging Needs funding pots. The additional dredging needs for Navigation Maintenance and Small, Remote and Subsistence Navigation funding will be allocated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in early 2023, and our projects are eligible for these additional funds. Below is the breakdown from north to south.

New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway – $1.06 million

Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway:
VA – Albemarle-Chesapeake Canal – $7.035 Million, Dismal Swamp Canal – $3.971 Million

NC – $15.805 Million

SC – $4.515 Million

GA – $3.77 Million

FL – $6.23 Million

Total for AIWW/IWW – $41.333 Million

To be allocated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a work plan in early 2023:

Additional Dredging Needs for Navigation – $32 million

Additional Dredging Needs for Operations and Maintenance – $65 million

One item to note is the $2 million Community Project Funding request (aka earmark) by Rep. Brian Mast of Florida did make it in the final bill. Also, we need to wait and see if we receive any additional funding from the Corps in early 2023, but the current amount is $11.38 million more than we received in the final FY22 allocations ($29.953 million). This means between FY22, FY23 and the 2022 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding for the AIWW/IWW we received $93.458 million, and $109.853 if we include our efforts with the NJIWW. These are our highest amounts ever!

In addition, we expect additional funding in February 2023 from the 2022 IIJA as that money is allocated over 2022-2023 and 2024. We received funding in the 2022 allocation but not 2023. Looking forward, the AIWA continues to work to secure funding for the reduction of the operations & maintenance backlog for the waterway and look forward to more success in the coming year.

The AIWA Launches “100 Boaters in 100 Days” Campaign

AIWA Membership Drive ️ 100 Boaters in 100 Days!

With the beginning of the 118th Congress, we see the next 100 days as critical for our ability to raise awareness of the value of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) and we need your support. We are focused on reaching the new Senators and Representatives and their staff who make the day-to-day decisions to move issues forward and we need to reach them.

We are launching our 100 Boaters Campaign in the next 100 days Member Drive! Please lend your support to have our ‘Voice of the Waterway’ heard in the next 100 days. To have a strong impact in Washington, DC, it is crucial for us to increase our recreational boater membership rolls.

Join for $30 — less than a day’s provisions for a boat trip on the water!

Join AIWA TODAY for only $30.

The AIWA is a national non-profit organization with the mission of securing funding and support for the maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. We are the only organization dedicated to ensuring the future of the AIWW and proudly represent all stakeholders of the waterway.

Contact:
5A Market
Beaufort, SC 29906
(843) 379-1151 ️ atlanticintracoastal.org